What is impressive about the children's novels published by the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children is that they situate student dialogue within the great traditions of Western philosophical thought. One can discover the ideas of Plato, Descartes, Hume, and James, among others, echoing through the words of characters like Harry, Lisa, Mark, and Suki. What I intend to suggest in this paper is that there are intimations of Eastern thought in these novels as well. An awareness of (...) this can enrich our perception of the layers of meaning embedded in the Philosophy for Children literature. (shrink)

What I want to propose in this paper is based upon my limited experience as a teacher-trainer. I am, therefore, aware of the tentative nature of the judgments I have arrived at and I hope to learn more about these matters in my conversation with you at the close of these remarks. Up to now, I have worked with two quite different groups of teachers, the classroom teacher and the teacher of the gifted and talented students. The first two parts (...) of my paper will be an account of my experiences with these groups of teachers. The final part will consider puzzles that I confront as I consider the possible consequences of my own activity as a teacher-trainer. (shrink)